Golden Tickseed

Golden Tickseed

Coreopsis tinctoria

Plant Type
Forb (Deciduous)
Landscape Layer
Herbaceous
Sun
☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
Moisture
🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
Soil
Clay, Loam, Silt, Calcareous
Bloom
May, June
Sociability
S2 – Small groups

Pollinator Value

🐝 Specialist Bee Host
Coreopsis genus hosts 17 specialist bee species (Fowler) including Perdita foveata, Pseudopanurgus albitarsis, Melissodes subillatus, and Melissodes trinodis; none have documented ON/QC ranges

S17 genus-level Asteraceae specialists; S64 specialist bee flag

Ecology & Conservation

Proximity Score
4
Native Status
❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ❌ ON
Closest Direction
W
CEC Eco-Regions
9 – Great Plains, 9.3 – West Central Semi-Arid Prairies, 9.3.4 – Nebraska Sand Hills
Rarity Notes
Ranked SNA (Not Applicable) in both Ontario and Quebec as it is considered introduced/exotic in both provinces. Not listed under SARA. Native range is central Great Plains (AB, SK, MB westward). Globally secure (G5) with national rank N5 in both Canada and the US.

S22 G5, N5 CA/US, SNA ON/QC; S26 not SARA listed; S1 native AB/SK/MB/BC, introduced ON/QC

Rarity Ranks
QC SNA – Not Applicable, ON SNA – Not Applicable
Migration
Disjunct
Ecological Context
A prairie and plains annual (sometimes short-lived perennial) native to the central US and western Canada. Typically found in moist low ground, roadsides, meadows, pastures, and pond banks. Widely cultivated as an ornamental and frequently escapes in eastern North America, where it is considered introduced. In ON and QC it is not indigenous but persists as a garden escape along roadsides and waste places.

S4 habitat=Prairie, Plains, Meadows; S7 garden annual sporadically escaped; S1 introduced ON/QC; S61 anthropogenic habitats

Permaculture & Companion Planting

Roles
Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor

S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: spines? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]

Medicinal Properties

Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.

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Category
Antidiarrheal, Emetic, Ceremonial Medicine, Disinfectant, Reproductive Aid

S28 Cherokee Antidiarrheal, Navajo Ceremonial/Disinfectant/Venereal Aid, Zuni Reproductive Aid; S29 Astringent, Emetic

Notes
Cherokee used a root infusion for flux (diarrhea). Navajo (Ramah) used the plant in ceremonial chant lotions, as a cold infusion with salt for 'lightning infection' (disinfectant), the root as a 'life medicine' (panacea), and as a fumigant for sexual infection. Zuni women took an infusion of the whole plant (excluding root) when desiring a female baby. PFAF reports the root tea is emetic and astringent.

S28 Cherokee, Navajo, Zuni uses; S29 emetic, astringent

Edibility & Foraging

Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.

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✅ Edible   

Foraging Notes
Lakota and Zuni peoples used the dried plant to prepare a hot beverage. The Zuni folded the fresh plant, hung it to dry, and detached portions as needed to brew a drink, used before the introduction of coffee by traders. PFAF also notes use as a tea and coffee substitute. The flowers boiled in water produce a red liquid used as a beverage.

S28 Lakota Food Beverage, Zuni Food Beverage; S29 tea/coffee substitute; S4 flowers boiled for beverage

Seed Source

  • Ecoseedbank
Golden Tickseed